In just the last few weeks, potty training has really taken off in our house. We are now the proud owners of not one, but two potties. We started off with the Fisher-Price Royal Potty. That has been in the boys’ bathroom for about six months now. It’s supposed to give off a fanfare to reward proper use but that’s never worked properly. I think the light sensor just isn’t sensitive enough. The only time we seem to get fanfare is when we bump into the potty. I like this potty, however, because it’s very easy to clean – the bowl just slides right out. It’s also a good size for Alex.

Because we’re using the potty so much, we acquired a second one for the downstairs bathroom. I would have gotten the exact same one but they didn’t have any at the Target nearest our house and I want to check out another store or wait for shipping. So I picked up the Fisher-Price Royal Potty Step Stool, which turned out to be more different than I expected. For one thing, the shield that keeps urine in the bowl when used by boys can be folded down – something Alex enjoys doing while we sit there. Instead of sliding the bowl out, you have to lift up the seat and then lift up the bowl, so it’s not quite as easy to clean. But on the other hand, there’s no risk of Alex pulling the bowl out while he’s sitting on the potty. The step stool version has the added benefit of a built-in trainer seat for the big toilet and, like the name implies, it folds up to be a step stool. Finally, the sensor on this version is a little different and produces fanfare at appropriate times; however, it also produces fanfare even when nothing happened and so is a little misleading.

The final verdict: I like both potties but if I could only have one, I think I’d go with the step stool version because of the versatility.